The present invention relates to material dispensers in general, and more particularly, to a machine for dispensing portioned ice cream from at least one or several fluid stores of preprepared ice cream.
Automatic devices for dispensing ice cream and similar materials are known to the art. Representative examples include:
DE-2 248 050 describes a ice cream selling machine which automatically fills ice cream into a cup after insertion of a coin or pressing a button. Previously prepared firm ice cream is used in this machine. The ice cream is scraped off a storage block of ice cream with a scraper and then dispensed into a cup by means of a dispenser. The cups are taken from a storage pile and the dispensing nozzle is introduced separately. During the ice cream dispensing process the cups and the dispensing nozzles are not moved relative to one another.
DE-2 004 412 describes an ice cream machine having an automatic introducing device with which the ice cream cone or cornet is transported from a storage container to an automatic dispensing device. Since the dispensing height of the ice cream cornet should be independent of the mounting height of the cornet storage container the automatic cornet introducing device is mechanically complicated. The ice cream cornets are transported via a lift to the ice cream dispensing device whereby they change the transporting device several times. Ice cream cornets and the ice cream dispensing device remain relatively still in the filling stage.
DE-1 186 249 describes a dispensing device for half-solid ice cream masses that includes an ice cream portioning device. Cylindrically packed ice cream rods are divided up into smaller portions by means of cutting elements, the size of which correspond to the portions to be filled into the ice cream waffles. These portions then fall into the ice cream waffles which are transported on by means of a transport chain. The surface of this portion is then formed by means of a rotating heated form dome.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,847 describes an automatic container transporting device, which removes a container from a storage location, brings the container to a filling station and, after filling, carries the filled container to a removal station. Special forms and safety devices are described to insure a correct transportation of the container.
It is a general object of the invention to provide an automatic ice cream dispensing machine.
It is a specific object of the invention to provide a self-service ice cream dispensing machine.
It is still another object of the invention to provide an automatic self-service ice cream dispensing machine having improved forming and quantity control of the dispensed ice cream.
It is a feature of the invention that the ice cream dispensing apparatus utilizes relatively simple mechanical components.
It is another feature of the invention that the self-service automatic ice cream dispenser is both operationally safe as well as safe to the user.